You will emerge from your government major grounded in international relations, American politics, comparative politics and political theory. If your interest is global, you may major in world politics. You will get a front-line perspective on U.S. government if you are accepted into Hamilton’s program in Washington, D.C., where you will work in a Congressional or executive office.

Peter Jorgensen '16 at the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Taking on the world: politics is just the beginning

As deep as his interest runs in world politics, Peter Jorgensen ’16 says he couldn’t take studying only that subject or its close relatives. Jorgensen is a world politics major with an English minor and a possible second minor in French.

“I get the whole world: I’ve taken an environmental studies class, I’ve taken a physics class, I’ve taken all the English classes in the world. My favorite professor at Hamilton is an English professor, “ says Jorgensen, who is spending his junior year in the General Course at the London School of Economics. Just before that, he interned for the summer with the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen.

Hamilton world studies professors, he says, give students the freedom to construct their best and most interesting arguments, which inspires him to excel. “You kind of take yourself out of your shoes and think in a different way, and I think that’s the best part of the world politics program here,” Jorgensen says. “Because it’s always very interesting, it’s always very much a new day. You never get the same thing twice.” To Jorgensen’s surprise, he’s made the dean’s list every semester.

Benjamin Anderson ’14

A new alum’s path – law school

Benjamin Anderson ’14 is headed to Georgetown Law, a decision shaped by his experience inside and outside the classroom at Hamilton College. He was a government major. “For my senior honors thesis under the guidance of Professor Phil Klinkner, I studied how newly-implemented voter identification laws impact turnout and potentially disenfranchise certain voters. And in Professor Yvonne Zylan's sociology courses I examined the relationship between law and society,” says Anderson, who is the summer after graduation interning for a political consulting firm.

He sought out courses that would best develop his ability to write effectively and think critically and analytically and came away with well-honed research and writing skills.

As an intern at the Democratic National Committee, Anderson observed the inner-workings of the U.S. political system. He explored the legislative process as an intern in the House of Representatives. “I am incredibly grateful for all the rich learning opportunities Hamilton facilitates beyond the traditional classroom. The ones that stand out the most are the summer research grant and summer internship funding I received through the Levitt Center, and the Government Department's Semester-in-Washington program which I participated in my junior year,” he says.

“While it’s hard to pinpoint exact things, the sense of community, the professors, and the campus all come to mind as the three largest reasons that Hamilton has been so great. It’s a very inclusive and supportive environment, and this strengthens the relationships that are created at Hamilton.” — Thomas Funk ’15 World politics major

After Hamilton

Hamilton graduates who concentrated in government are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including: